Don't Bring me Down
by Degrassix96
Summary: After being under the wing of Vince, Zig began to learn his way around the drug game. He climbed his way to the top of success. When a "friend" turns against him, Zig finds himself facing plenty of problems. To top it off, an old lover comes back into his life, putting her in danger also. How can he protect her and prevent his empire that he spent years building from crashing down?
1. Chapter 1

_Summary: After being under the wing of Vince, Zig began to learn his way around the drug game. He climbed his way to the top of success. When a "friend" turns against him, Zig finds himself facing plenty of problems. To top it off, an old lover comes back into his life, putting her in danger also. How can he protect her and prevent his empire that he spent years building from crashing down?_

About the story:

-Maya, Tris, Miles, Zig, Zoe, Tiny, and Grace are all 24

-Frankie and Hunter are 23

-This is, of course, a Zaya story so if you are a Zaya fan, this is for you

-Tris never dated Miles and Maya/Tris never stopped being friends.

I, legally, do not own anything Degrassi related; credits to Stephen Stohn. Btw, can someone tell me when Degrassi comes back on please?

* * *

_**Chapter One: Betrayed**_

* * *

He couldn't believe it; Tiny had turned against him. All along he has been working alongside with Vince, trying to tear down what he and Tiny had spent years building. They made a pact once the two of them finally left Vince; after saving enough money and finishing off high school, the two ran to Detroit to build their own empire. Vince showed them how to run the game with no intentions of them going away to start their own business. He didn't have a clue that the two of them were planning on taking everything he showed them and turning it into something better.

It was a struggle at first, trying to find a supplier and someone they could trust. Then, they had to find loyal customers and make sure no one ratted them out. It took them about five years to become the best known drug dealers in Detroit. They made more than enough money to support them and even had some of the cops on their side. It was amazing how they started from the bottom, groveling for food and places to sleep. Now, money became no issue for them—figuring out who his friends were was the issue.

Zig heard from Doug, one of the guys that helped Zig and Tiny with their drugs, that Tiny was seen giving money to some man. After Doug described, in perfect details, the man Tiny was with…Zig knew instantly who it was. He was seen giving money to Vince, but why?

When Zig confronted Tiny, he told him the truth with no hesitation. This entire thing was a set up; Tiny was working with Vince from the moment they moved to Detroit. He was giving him half of their pay and giving him part of their drugs, also. Tiny also told him he was going back to Toronto to work alongside with Vince and that Vince was planning on destroying everything that they had built. Tiny had let out a maniacal laugh; it was funny to him that he had switched sides and now he was going to help destroy everything that he and Zig had built.

Everything happened so fast; Zig's vision began to turn red with wrath. One moment Zig was listening, anger bubbling through his throbbing veins. The next, he flipped over the glass table, shards of glass flying everywhere, and began pounding Tiny's face with his fist. His knuckles throbbed with every punch, but he ignored the pain and continued to punch him. Warm blood began to cover Zig's knuckles.

Doug and a few others rushed to the commotion, pulling him off Tiny. In anger, Tiny spat the blood from his mouth and stormed off, leaving Zig behind in the apartment.

..

It's been two days since Tiny left and he took some of their workers with him. Business is falling apart and customers are traveling to Canada to get their fix. It angers Zig that someone he has known for a while has been against him this entire time. The saying "Keep your friends close and your enemies closer" was exactly what Tiny was doing. He was keeping Vince close, but Zig closer so he could figure out his flaws, his secrets, and everything he knew how to so he could destroy him. Tiny knew who Zig worked with, who they customers were, and who was against him. He could use that instantly and take Zig down.

The door to his apartment opens and shoes scrape against the wooden floor. The door closes softly and a familiar voice causes Zig's head to snap up.

"You look like shit," Grace says as she takes off her leather jacket and tosses it on the couch.

"Gee, thanks," he mutters, taking a long drag of his joint before setting it in the ashtray. He runs his fingers through his silky hair and scratches his left eyebrow.

"I heard what happened with you and Tiny," Grace says as she took a seat next to Zig. "I never expected him to betray you as close as you two were."

"Whatever. Fuck him."

It was hard clawing to the top and it was a struggle staying there. There was so many times Tiny and Zig almost got killed because of jealous drug dealers. One sabotaged them and they had to spend a couple months in jail. It would have been longer had it not have been for one of the cops they were friends with.

It's impossible to believe that Tiny had turned against Zig. He was still having a hard time processing it. The two of them spent their high school years trying to get away from Vince. Zig had even gotten shot because of it. A scar on his left shoulder was there as a reminder.

"Look, you can't mope around and let your business crash down. I understand you're pissed and business isn't looking too good, but this isn't going to do anything but show Vince that you're weak. So, get up—you and I are going to run this shit together."

"I thought you were against this," Zig jokes.

Grace never liked what Tiny and Zig were doing. She told them they were stupid for selling drugs and trying to become drug lords. There were times she'd swing by and do runs with them, but it was only because she desperately needed extra cash.

Instead of coming to Detroit with them, Grace stayed behind in Toronto and decided to go to U of T. She wanted to get her life together and didn't want people to see her as a jail delinquent. The job at The Dot didn't pay much, so she was stuck scraping pennies and constantly was in debt. Zig had offered her money, but she refused, saying she didn't take handouts—she preferred to have worked hard for her money. Tiny gave her the idea that she should go around town to make a few runs with them. She was hesitant at first, but when Tiny told her how much it paid, she didn't hesitate to give in.

"I am, but I know what to do. I've made a few runs with you two so I'm familiar with the game. You're my boy Zig; my best friend actually. I'm not letting you fight alone. You, me, and Doug can sort all of this together."

"Okay, but first we need to go to Columbia."

"The country?" Grace asks.

"Yeah," Zig says with a head nod.

"What's in Columbia?"

"Felipe."

..

Her heels click against the pavement as she lugs her purse over her shoulder and drags her suitcases as she practically skips along the walkway leading to the door to she and Miles' home.

Maya had just came back from a trip to Paris with Tristan. It was refreshing to go back after all these years and explore Paris together—the dynamic duo made their way through Paris, enjoying their time together and having the time of their lives. They shopped, went to see plays, and ate at exquisite restaurants. Miles gave her loads of money, telling her to go crazy and spend it on whatever her heart desired. Surely she and Tristan wished they could have stayed there forever. They practically brought everything in Paris.

It's great being back home, though. She's sure Miles would be happy knowing she is back. She is giddy inside. She is anxious to show off what she had spent in Paris and can't wait to see his reaction. She bites her lip in anticipation, imagining Miles' expression when she will remove her clothes and show him the sexy lingerie she brought underneath.

She sits her bags aside briefly to unlock the door and open it. She then grabs her bags and rolls them inside, setting them down to close and lock the front door. Maya travels around the house, finding the spiraled staircase and making her way up. Moaning came from their bedroom and Maya freezes in her tracks. Her eyebrows knits together curiously as she tries to rack through her brain the possibilities of what's going on.

_Surely he's sick; my poor baby is moaning in pain, _Maya thought.

She walks to the bedroom door and opens it, gasping in disbelief. Miles is tangled in the sheets with some brunette woman! Her heart is breaking greatly and tears are quickly flooding her eyes, threatening to slide down her flushed cheeks. The tears began to blur her vision, so she decides to blink, allowing them to roll down her cheeks.

_Was this what he was doing whenever he snuck away in the middle of the night?_

"I—I can't believe you!" she yells in a trembling voice.

Miles quickly breaks away from the woman, jumping out of bed and snatching his boxers out of the bed. He hurriedly places them on and trips over the blankets, trying to get to Maya. Maya shakes her head angrily, turning on her heels and stomping out of the room. She runs down the steps, wiping her tears away from her cheeks. She snatches up her purse and suitcases, flinging the door open and running out without bothering to close it. She runs to her car, unlocking the door and throwing her bags in the backseat.

"Maya!" she hears Miles calling out.

Maya speedily hops in the car, slamming the door behind her and jamming her key into the ignition. She speeds off, not wanting to face Miles.

..

"Oh Maya, I am _so_ sorry. Miles is still such a jerk," Zoe says as she takes a bite out of her salad. She then drinks a few gulps of her water and sits it down on the table. "After all these years you'd think he would've changed by now."

Maya went straight to Zoe's place in hysterical tears. Tristan was out with Owen, catching up with him since he was back in town. Maya didn't want to go to Frankie about her brother, so she ran to Zoe's.

Maya shakes her head, letting more tears spill down her cheeks. She toys with her fries, dipping it in the ketchup and stirring it around before setting it down. She runs her fingers through her hair and lets out a shuddering breath.

She and Miles had finally settled everything between them. They had gotten back together during their junior year and stayed together on and off ever since. There were times she and Miles had gotten into arguments and broken up, but they found their way back to each other. Now, this was different. Miles had been intimate with another women and how long has this been going on? Was this who he was with on all those long business trips? Is this who was calling him in the middle of the night, causing him to tiptoe out of the room and answer the call?

"Maya, you're thinking too hard. I know it hurts, but what's done is done. Miles is still the same childish guy he was back in high school; he doesn't care about who he hurts to get what he wants. Want to call up Tris and Frankie to have a little slumber party?"

Maya nods her head, pouting as she does so. Zoe smiles softly as she grabs her phone, punching buttons swiftly on her phone. Seconds later, her phone goes off with a _ding!_ She looks up at Maya, flashing her a cheeky grin.

"So, we're on for tonight. Shall we go shop for snacks and movies?"

Once again, Maya nods her head. Whenever she tries to open her mouth to talk, tears spill out and she starts to blubber her words. It hurts too much to think about what had just happened. Miles had cheated on her; it was as if her heart had been ripped away from her and crushed into a million tiny pieces.

Miles betrayed her. He did what he promised not to do. What was worse was that she was planning on telling him she was ready. She was ready to start a family.


	2. Chapter 2

AN: Thanks to all those that read and reviewed!

Btw, sorry if my Spanish is not good. I used Google translate.

* * *

**_Chapter Two: Keep Your Eyes Open_**

* * *

Felipe was the drug lord; the one that they receive all their products from. Three percent of their profit goes to him. He's one of the scariest, most intimidating, heartless man Zig knows. He once tortured a man to death while his family watched. Then, he killed the wife and kids - knowing he couldn't leave any witnesses around. When it came to his money, people knew not to fuck with him.

Zig didn't know how he was going to break the news to Felipe. He had lost a partner and lost a lot of their product. It was back to square one.

After stepping off the plane and on the pavement of Columbia, Zig instantly felt his knees buck with fear. Grace, on the other hand, looked fearless. She squinted her eyes in the sun, tucked a strand of hair behind her ear, and looked over at Zig.

A car drove in front of them, screeching to a halt. The window slowly rolled down and a scary, bulking man stared at the two of them. He was bald with a scar on the side of his head and one under his right eye. His cold, icy blue orbs looked them up and down.

"You Zig?" he asks in a deep, thick accent.

Zig nods his head.

"Get in. Felipe is waiting for you."

Zig gulps audibly. He grabs Grace by the hand, dragging her to the car with him. He opens the door and allows Grace to go in first. Then, he climbs in and closes the door behind him. The car ride was silent and filled with thick tension. Zig was terrified about what was going to happen. Felipe didn't like newcomers and he didn't like people screwing him over. Zig told him that Tiny was good people and that he could help them bring in good business. Felipe didn't trust Tiny at first; the only reason he trusted Zig was because he knew someone who had put a good word in for him. He had to make sure Felipe was down with selling him his product before he could get down to business.

The driver makes a hard turn, throwing Zig's body into Grace. She lightly shoves him off her and smooths out her shirt. The car pulls up into a gold double gate with the "F" symbol on there. When the gates slowly open, the driver slowly drives in. The four story house is spread out on the luscious green lawn. Luxurious, extravagant cars are lined next to each other, shining in the scorching sun. Gardeners are busying themselves - cutting grass, trimming bushes, and water flowers. Women are walking around; some are lounging in their swimsuits.

The place is beautiful; but now wasn't the time to enjoy it.

As the car came to a forceful halt, Zig and Grace groaned, their body thrashing violently. They quickly unbuckled their seat-belts and exited the car. They walked down the long, narrow walkway to Felipe's house. They walked up the steps that led to the front door. Before ringing the buzzer, Zig let out a deep sigh as he wiped the sweat from his forehead.

How was he going to get through this?

"Maybe this was a bad idea," he tells Grace. "Felipe gets very pissed when -"

"Zig, I'm not letting you go through this shit alone. Tiny was a bitch for leaving you and having you pick up all the pieces he left behind. It wouldn't be right for me to watch you go through this alone. So, ring the damn buzzer so we can get this over with."

Zig cracks a small smile as he rings the buzzer. The rough, masculine voice on the intercom seeps through.

"May I help you?" he asks.

"Y-Yeah, we're here to see Felipe."

"Do you have an appointment with Boss?"

"Yes, I'm Zig and this is -"

"Ah, _Zig_, Boss is expecting you."

The door opens and once again, Zig lets out an audible gulp. He looks over at Grace, silently praying that this goes well. He hates that she was stubborn enough to come along with him. He hoped that she would've stayed back in Detroit and waited for him to come back. He could have always taken Doug with him, but he know how Grace is. He would have never heard the end of it if he chose Doug over Grace. Grace is more intimidating and she knows her shit. She knows how to watch her back and keep her eyes open. She's not like the other guys and that's why people are surprised whenever Zig brings her around. They expect her to be weak and dumb because she's a girl. They don't think girls know anything about the "drug world" and that's why guys try to always fuck Zig over.

The duo walk inside. They barely have time to look around the house before they're grabbed and being frisked. Afterwards, the guards mumble "all clear" and send them on their way. Since Zig has been here before, he leads the way. The two of them walk up two flights of steps and stop at a big, cherry wood double door. Zig knocks on the door and shoves his hand in his pocket. The door slowly opens, whining as it does so. Felipe is sitting behind his desk, feet propped up and a cigar resting in his mouth.

"Zigmund," he calls out in his thick Spanish accent, "I've been expecting you."

..

Miles' car was gone which means he's at work...at least Maya hopes he is. She waited until he was gone for her to come to the house and pack her things. After walking in on him being intimate with another woman, she couldn't face him now. It had broken her too much and seeing him was just going to make her weak.

Miles was Maya's first and she was hoping he'd be her last. She knew she wasn't his first, because he was the "player type" way before they met and even when they met. Maya never imagined falling in love with him and giving him herself, but she did. She felt comfortable around him and planned on spending the rest of her life with him.

Moving in with him was a big step, but Maya was willing to take it. After he proposed to her, he asked Maya to move in. He said it was a great way of seeing how it would be living together before the marriage.

Apparently Maya had driven him into the arms of another woman.

Sighing, Maya threw her purse on the bed and sat down on the edge. She placed her head in her hands and began to weep. Where did she go wrong? Why didn't Miles love her? Why'd he have to go cheat on her and in their own home? The place where they slept and made love?

He didn't bother to call her. Instead, he had Hunter call. Hunter apologized on Miles' behalf and that made Maya angry! He didn't even bother to call her and tell her how sorry he was! He didn't show up over Zoe's house to see if she was alright. That proved that he didn't, nor has he ever, cared.

The front door opened and then closed. Maya hopped off the bed, quickly wiping the tears from her eyes and looking around the room. She has not even started packing.

"My? Is that you?" she hears him call out.

Why wasn't he at work? Did he come back for another session with that whore?

The bedroom door open and Maya couldn't help but stare at him. No matter what she still thought of him as sexy with his tousled hair and slender body. Today he wore a white button down shirt with black slacks and a black tie. He unbuttoned the buttons on his sleeves and pushed them back.

"Can we talk?" he asks.

"What are you doing home so early? You don't get off work until six."

"I left early. I couldn't go the entire day knowing that you're heartbroken and upset with me. I," Miles sighs, "I made a mistake. What you saw, it wasn't suppose to happen. Sharon and I were just -"

"Fucking in _our_ bed," Maya snaps. "The place in which we lay _our_ heads and make love!"

"Maya it was a mistake," Miles whines, taking a step towards Maya. "I didn't mean to cheat on you."

"How the hell can you make a mistake and fuck another woman!?" When Miles didn't respond, Maya took it upon herself to continue. "I wasted all these years with you! I was hoping we'd get marry and start a family. I was hoping you'd be the one for me, but I was wrong. You're still stuck in your childish, playing ways. No matter what, no woman will ever be good enough for you to settle down with, because you're not looking to settle down. You're looking for a damn chew toy that you can play with and spit out when you're bored! Well, fuck you Miles! I won't be your chew toy! I'm done with your childish ass games and I am done with you!"

Maya snatches up her purse and tosses the strap over her shoulder. She storms past Miles, shoving him out the way and running down the steps. She wipes away the falling tears as she flings the door open and runs off the porch. She unlocks her car door, yanking the door open and hopping in, closing the door behind her. Once she jabs the key in the ignition to turn on the car, Maya speeds out of the driveway and down the street back to Zoe's house.

She didn't even bother getting her clothes. She was so angry at Miles that she couldn't even pack her clothes. She was just going to have to have Frankie and Zoe come get her clothes for her, because she was never going to come near Miles again. As far as she was concerned, this was Miles' last strike. She was done with him.

..

"So as you can see, Tiny was working with Vince all along. He set me up and took a lot of our profit with him along with the money. I'm trying my best to find another way to get some money so I can pay you off but -"

"Maldita sea! Esto no es bueno , Zig. This is not good at all. I told you that Tiny was bad news, but you begged and pleaded for him to work by your side. See what happens when you don't listen, eh? You fuck with my money and my business!" Felipe growls, slamming his fist down on the desk. He shook his head, swirling around the dark liquor in his glass before taking a swig out of the drink.

"I just need some time, Felipe. I promise if you just give me -"

Felipe lets out a maniacal laugh, smashing the cigar in the ashtray and swinging his feet off the desk. He pushes the chair back, standing up and walking in front of the desk. He leans over, cutting Zig a hard, cold stare.

"More time? I gave you more than enough time, Zigmund! You were supposed to report back to me with our share."

"Felipe, Tiny set me up. It is not my fault that every thing went downhill. If you give me a couple months I can have everything back to the way it was before. Trust me."

Felipe makes a sort of grunt as he leans over and presses a button behind his desk. Moments later, to bulky men come inside, standing beside Felipe's desk.

"Carlos , Luis volver a Detroit con Zigmund aquí y mantener sus ojos en él. Si él no entrega , matarlo," he says in a harsh whisper.

The two men nod and turn their attention back to Zig and Grace.

"This is Carlos and Luis. They will go back to Detroit with you and keep an eye on you. If you cannot deliver me my share, they will kill you and everyone associated with you."


End file.
